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The Wall Street Journal - December 6, 2015

John Rassias
The Dartmouth Professor Changed Foreign-Language Instruction

Much of the American academy is beset by political rot, but here and there are reminders of what once made U.S. higher education the envy of the world. One example was John A. Rassias, the Dartmouth College professor who died at age 90 on Wednesday after revolutionizing the teaching of foreign languages.

The son of Greek immigrants, Rassias joined the Marine Corps in World War II and fought on Okinawa. He turned to the study of French and other romance languages in the 1950s and developed a language program as a consultant to the Peace Corps. At Dartmouth he adapted that into what became known as the Rassias Method, or the Dartmouth Intensive Language Model that has been used for instruction in 180 languages around the world.

Rassias rejected the rote repetition of language instruction in favor of immersive classes that engaged students in rapid fire drills and often dramatic set-pieces.

The idea was to get students thinking in the foreign language while enjoying the experience of learning. Rassias's passion and personality made him a student favorite and earned appearances on CBS’s “60 Minutes” and even “The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson.” Believe it or not, education used to be part of American popular culture.

Rassias also made Dartmouth an early leader in campus study abroad. President Jimmy Carter named him to his commission to improve foreign language study in the U.S., which is still much needed and is a reminder of the days when more Americans thought it was a virtue to be engaged with the world. John Rassias showed that the American campus can be a joyously unsafe space where young people can be inspired and have their minds opened.


[ The Wall Street Journal - Opinion - www.wsj.com/articles/john-rassias-1449446634
   - December 6, 2015 ]
[ The National Herald | Vol. 19 - Issue 948 | December 7, 2015 - p. 8 ]